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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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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: wave · snap · swing · cue · rock · ground · mine · land

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. ground — a position
  6. swing — music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cue — a signal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rock — a stone
  12. land — a country
  13. swing — in golf
  14. land — to come down
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. land — ground
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cue — for pool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wave — with your hand

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