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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: wave · ball · swing · ground · patient · row · stick · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. row — a line
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ground — the earth
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ground — crushed
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — a position
  21. saw — the tool
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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