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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: band · arm · bulb · wave · pass · row · bay · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. band — a music group
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. row — a line
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. band — a ring
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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