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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: pound · current · swing · wave · content · safe · lash · row

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. swing — music
  11. content — the amount
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. row — a line
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. current — of water
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — happy
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pound — for dogs

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