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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · arm · bass · wound · mark · saw · perch · firm

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. perch — the fish
  3. last — to go on
  4. firm — decided
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. last — finally
  9. firm — steady
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bass — low music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — a company
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mark — a grade
  23. last — final
  24. arm — a part of something

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