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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. swing — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. club — a group
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. club — for dancing
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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