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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: wave · pit · pop · snap · straw · band · object · arm

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. object — to protest
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pop — music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pit — a hole
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. object — a thing
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to click
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pop — soda
  21. object — an aim
  22. pop — to visit
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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