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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. band — a ring
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. drill — a practice
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. swing — to play on
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. swing — music
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rash — a series

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