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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: leaves · board · chest · swing · row · face · ground · wave

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. board — to get on
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. row — a line
  10. face — to confront
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chest — a box
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. chest — of your body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. ground — crushed

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