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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.

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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 · lash · wake · stand · club · bank · wave · court

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. club — a group
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bank — for money
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. club — for golf
  20. bank — of a river
  21. court — of law
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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