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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · last · roll · shower · net · wave · swing · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. net — in sport
  8. shower — to wash
  9. swing — music
  10. last — final
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. swing — in golf
  13. net — for catching
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. last — finally
  16. club — a group
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. swing — to play on
  20. net — after costs
  21. shower — rain
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for dancing
  24. last — to go 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