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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: object · ruler · wave · arm · kid · saw · season · bound

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — to protest
  6. bound — certain
  7. season — of the year
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. season — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bound — tied together
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ruler — for measuring

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