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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: arm · band · squash · row · date · patient · wound · bowl

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. row — to paddle
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wound — an injury
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a ring
  7. wound — an injury
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — to crush
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. date — the fruit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. band — a music group
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. row — a line
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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