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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. file — a tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — a committee
  10. file — a document
  11. swing — to play on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. swing — in golf
  16. board — to get on
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators

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