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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: deal · wave · bowl · swing · row · straw

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. deal — to handle
  5. swing — to play on
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. deal — a big deal

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