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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — to come down
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. row — a line
  6. swing — in golf
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — a division
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — a country
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — ground
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. row — a quarrel

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