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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 120 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: wake · sharp · squash · bulb · row · dip · swing · board

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — to crush
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. swing — to play on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — a committee
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. dip — to sink
  16. sharp — clever
  17. row — a line
  18. board — to get on
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. swing — music
  24. row — to paddle

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