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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: sharp · row · bay · root · swing · bowl · wound · straw

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. row — a line
  3. root — the cause
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. sharp — clever
  7. swing — in golf
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. root — of a word
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wound — an injury
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. root — of a plant
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. row — to paddle

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