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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 112 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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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: swing · mate · bank · row · lash · wave · board · sharp

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — to get on
  8. bank — for money
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mate — a friend
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. swing — music
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. swing — in golf
  19. board — a committee
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bank — of a river
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wave — of the sea
  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