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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: arm · chair · mine · stick · swing · wave · bark · staff

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bark — to shout
  15. swing — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mine — for digging
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. staff — a stick
  24. arm — a part of something

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