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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. swing — music
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. net — for catching
  15. race — a contest
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. race — humankind
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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