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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: ball · leaves · track · wound · field · wave · arm · cabinet

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. field — a subject
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wound — an injury
  18. field — for sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. field — farmland
  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