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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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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: clip · race · arm · suit · object · bark · wake · wave

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. object — to protest
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. suit — in cards
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. object — a thing
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. object — an aim
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bark — to shout
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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