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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: march · wave · track · nail · can · mouse · arm · last

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. track — a path
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a song
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. can — to be able to
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. can — a tin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. last — to go on
  24. mouse — the animal

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