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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: wind · wave · club · deal · stick · rock

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. club — for golf
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rock — music
  9. club — a group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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