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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — the season
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — in a race
  16. lean — thin
  17. spring — of water
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — to paddle
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. row — a line

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