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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hand — help
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bass — low music
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wind — moving air
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — in cards

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