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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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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: club · row · capital · bay · wave · arm · fall · saw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. capital — money
  7. club — a group
  8. fall — to drop
  9. row — a line
  10. club — for golf
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — for dancing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — the season
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a city
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. saw — the tool

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