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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. swing — music
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. swing — in golf
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. face — to point toward
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. branch — a division
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. face — to confront
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. squash — to crush

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