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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: leaves · row · arm · nail · wake · bank · chair · wave

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. row — to paddle
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. row — a line
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bank — of a river

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