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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.

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: march · last · cue · rash · wave · ball · leaves · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rash — a series
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ball — a dance
  7. last — final
  8. ball — a great time
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cue — for pool
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. last — to go on
  21. march — the month
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cue — a hint

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