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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: chest · dip · ball · bear · clip · wave · arm · coach

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. clip — a video
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ball — a great time
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — a box
  9. ball — a dance
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — to cut
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. coach — a trainer

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