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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: rush · leaves · swing · saw · bank · bass · calf · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — low music
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. swing — in golf
  23. ground — a position
  24. rush — hurry

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