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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · lean · wave · date · row · bass · sharp · swing

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lean — to bend
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. swing — music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. lean — thin
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. swing — to play on
  24. row — a line

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