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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. swing — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. swing — to play on
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. clip — for paper
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ground — a position
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. saw — the tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fine — all right
  22. bank — for money
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ground — the earth

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