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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: wave · rush · ground · plane · bark · swing · cabinet · hide

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ground — a position
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. swing — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bark — to shout
  24. plane — an aircraft

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