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

Word bank: rule · content · wave · chair · shower · swing

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. rule — government
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rule — a law
  18. wave — of the sea

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