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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: fall · cold · arm · safe · wave · craft · row · club

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — the season
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cold — not warm
  6. craft — boats
  7. club — for dancing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. club — a group
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — a line
  16. fall — to drop
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. club — for golf
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cold — an illness

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