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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 120 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
468
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: arm · wound · fan · pitch · mate · branch · wave · saw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. branch — a division
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fan — a supporter

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