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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · arm · wave · plane · toast · mark · hand · field

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. toast — bread
  4. field — a subject
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. field — farmland
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. hand — help
  18. plane — a tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mark — a trace
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com