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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: last · swing · wave · bound · arm · prune · mouse · rock

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. last — to go on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rock — music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. last — finally
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bound — certain
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. last — final
  23. swing — to play on
  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