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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: ball · arm · wave · track · row · wake · dip · tube

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — a container
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. track — to keep track
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — a path
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a song
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. row — to paddle

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