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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — a division
  9. swing — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitch — completely
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — newspapers
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lash — to lash out

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