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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. swing — in golf
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wound — an injury
  10. object — to protest
  11. branch — a division
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. object — an aim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. object — a thing
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. swing — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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