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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bank — of a river
  4. swing — music
  5. clip — to cut
  6. deal — to handle
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bank — for money
  9. scale — size or range
  10. clip — a video
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — in music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ball — a great time

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