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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wave · pop · arm · scale · object · saw · chest · net

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. pop — soda
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chest — a box
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — for catching
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — in sport
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. object — to protest
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — for weighing

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