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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: arm · rush · file · stand · fan · wave · prune · land

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. land — a country
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. file — a line of people
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. file — a document
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — to bear
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — to come down
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — hurry
  24. file — a 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