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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 · cabinet · arm · safe · clip · fan · racket · fork

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. clip — to cut
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. clip — a video
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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