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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. swing — music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. current — of water
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. suit — clothes
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mark — a trace
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. suit — to fit
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. current — happening now
  23. swing — in golf
  24. current — electric

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