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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — a line
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. swing — to play on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — a division
  15. row — to paddle
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. swing — music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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