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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
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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: last · tube · pound · wave · saw · arm · pop · march

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. last — to go on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — soda
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. tube — a container
  16. pound — a weight
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. last — finally
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. last — final
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pop — to visit
  23. saw — the tool
  24. arm — part of the body

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