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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 116 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: fan · scale · bank · wave · tear · row · chair · swing

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. tear — to rip
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bank — of a river
  9. swing — to play on
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bank — for money
  17. swing — music
  18. row — a line
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chair — to sit on

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