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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: swing · ruler · wave · row · pop · vault · hide · bank

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bank — for money
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. swing — to play on
  24. row — a line

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