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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: wound · shower · swing · mouse · deal · net · saw · wave

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. shower — rain
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. swing — to play on
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. swing — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — in sport

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