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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: row · wave · wind · object · swing · ground · saw · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. row — to paddle
  3. swing — music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — a line
  13. ground — a position
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wind — moving air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. ground — crushed
  22. swing — to play on
  23. object — a thing
  24. wind — to turn a key

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