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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: bass · swing · wave · plane · row · perch · rest · current

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — of water
  7. swing — to play on
  8. row — a line
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. current — electric
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — low music
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — happening now
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rest — a break
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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