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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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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: staff · stick · bank · game · row · wave · toast · swing

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bank — of a river
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — employees
  15. toast — bread
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — a line
  18. swing — music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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