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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: firm · spring · swing · board · straw · wake · net · bowl

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spring — of water
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. swing — music
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — the season
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. firm — decided
  11. swing — to play on
  12. net — in sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. swing — in golf

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