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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 120 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: bulb · patient · saw · chair · bark · club · wave · arm

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bark — to shout
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for dancing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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