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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: object · land · arm · wave · bank · foot · spell · snap

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spell — letters
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — magic
  10. bank — for money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. land — to come down
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. bank — of a river
  20. snap — to click
  21. object — an aim
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. spell — a short time

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