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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: last · row · wave · swing · chair · bank

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. last — to go on
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. last — final
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — in golf
  12. row — a line
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. last — finally
  16. bank — for money
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. row — a quarrel

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