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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: hand · arm · roll · bark · chip · race · saw · wave

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chip — for betting
  3. roll — a list
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. race — a contest
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. chip — to eat
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hand — 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