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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: straw · ground · fan · wave · ruler · row · swing · mate

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mate — a partner
  3. row — a line
  4. swing — music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ground — a position
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mate — a friend
  20. row — to paddle
  21. swing — to play on
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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