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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
468
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: chest · saw · last · ball · arm · rock · wave · band

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rock — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. last — final
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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