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

Word bank: wave · plane · bank · tear · swing · wake

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. bank — for money
  2. swing — music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. swing — to play on
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — in golf
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bank — for money
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  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