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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: board · wave · swing · file · stem · kick · present · deal

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. kick — in football
  3. present — there
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. swing — in golf
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. swing — to play on
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. file — a tool
  10. present — the time now
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — a gift
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. swing — music
  23. file — a document
  24. board — a committee

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