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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. swing — in golf
  3. roll — a list
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. swing — to play on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pit — a hole
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pound — a weight
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. snap — to click
  19. swing — music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. branch — a division
  23. pit — in a race
  24. branch — of a tree

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