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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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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 · band · ball · wake · chip · kick · arm · face

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kick — in football
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. band — a music group
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. band — a ring
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to confront
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ball — a great time
  24. kick — with a leg

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