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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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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: swing · lash · net · wave · rock · shower · date · firm

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — in sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rock — music
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. net — after costs
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. swing — in golf
  19. net — for catching
  20. shower — rain
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. firm — steady
  23. swing — music
  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