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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: bank · current · cap · wave · foot · swing · hand · wake

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — of a river
  8. current — electric
  9. cap — of ice
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. current — of water
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — a lid
  18. swing — in golf
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hand — help
  21. foot — a measure
  22. swing — music
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cap — a hat

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