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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: row · snap · wake · pitch · swing · wave · tube · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tube — a container
  7. net — in sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitch — completely
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. swing — music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. net — after costs
  22. snap — to click
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wake — a trail

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