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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.

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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. swing — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. swing — in golf
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spell — magic
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chip — for betting
  15. branch — a division
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. club — for dancing
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. club — a group
  24. saw — the tool

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