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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: spell · trunk · shower · row · swing · board · firm · chip

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spell — letters
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — a company
  6. row — a line
  7. chip — for betting
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. shower — rain
  11. swing — in golf
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. chip — to eat
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spell — magic
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. board — a committee
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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