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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.

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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: bowl · arm · wind · wave · bay · file · ruler · straw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. file — a tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. file — a document
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a line of people

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