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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · plane · swing · wave · tube · bank · rash · mine

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ground — a position
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mine — for digging
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — the earth

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