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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: bound · club · object · fan · land · mouse · wave · arm

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. object — a thing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. object — an aim
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. land — a country
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. object — to protest
  13. club — for golf
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — to come down
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — ground
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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