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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fine — high quality
  5. file — a tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. season — of the year
  8. file — a document
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rest — what's left
  11. swing — music
  12. fine — all right
  13. shower — to wash
  14. file — a line of people
  15. season — in sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rest — what's left

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