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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: hand · wave · race · bowl · degree · hide · rock · arm

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. race — the arms race
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. race — a contest
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rock — music
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. race — humankind
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. degree — from a university

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