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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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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: lean · hand · bay · charge · swing · net · row · ground

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. swing — music
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. row — to paddle
  8. charge — a price
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — for catching
  12. charge — in control
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lean — thin
  18. hand — help
  19. ground — crushed
  20. net — after costs
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lean — to bend
  24. row — a line

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