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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rash — hasty
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — tied together
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — certain
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — electric
  15. bound — obliged
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — a division
  19. current — happening now
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. chest — of your body

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