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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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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: dip · land · swing · calf · row · last · safe · wind

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wind — moving air
  4. last — finally
  5. swing — in golf
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. row — to paddle
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a line
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. swing — to play on
  21. last — to go on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. last — final
  24. row — a quarrel

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