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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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Word bank
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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: wake · bear · tube · swing · chair · wave

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. swing — music
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bear — the animal

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