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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 · present · last · stick · lean · roll · wave · field

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. present — the time now
  3. last — final
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. roll — a list
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — a gift
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. present — there
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — finally
  20. roll — a cake
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lean — to rest against

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