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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: swing · rock · bowl · wave · plane · land · press · wind

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. press — newspapers
  3. land — a country
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. land — ground
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. swing — in golf
  9. land — to come down
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rock — music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. press — to push
  23. swing — music
  24. wind — moving air

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