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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · wave · ground · craft · board · scale · arm · coach

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. craft — boats
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ground — a position
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. board — a committee
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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