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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: shower · wave · hand · squash · can · arm · mouse · last

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. squash — to crush
  6. shower — to wash
  7. last — to go on
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — help
  12. can — to be able to
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. last — final
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. last — finally
  22. shower — rain
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. arm — part of the body

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