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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: swing · rest · pound · ground · wave · season · lash · game

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rest — a break
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — crushed
  12. swing — in golf
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pound — a weight
  15. game — wild animals
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ground — a position
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. game — a match

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