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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: court · file · wave · wake · bay · swing · roll · plane

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. swing — to play on
  6. plane — a tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. swing — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. roll — a list
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. swing — in golf
  23. court — of a king
  24. file — a document

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