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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: fall · wake · current · squash · bank · toast · swing · wave

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. toast — bread
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. current — of water
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bank — for money
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wake — a trail
  20. current — happening now
  21. swing — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. current — electric
  24. wave — of the sea

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