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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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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: land · swing · present · pound · calf · chair · wave · arm

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. swing — to play on
  3. present — the time now
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. present — there
  6. land — to come down
  7. swing — in golf
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. land — a country
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. swing — music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — a gift
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. land — ground
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chair — a leader

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