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

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bark — to shout
  8. foot — a measure
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chest — of your body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bank — for money
  19. swing — to play on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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