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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. date — the fruit
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. last — final
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. can — a tin
  12. swing — music
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — to play on
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. perch — the fish

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