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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: wind · wave · kick · arm · last · lean · cap · mouse

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cap — a lid
  3. last — to go on
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wind — moving air
  8. last — finally
  9. lean — thin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. last — final
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mouse — the animal

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