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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · lash · perch · wind · bay · trunk · swing · race

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. perch — the fish
  3. race — humankind
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mug — a cup
  11. race — a contest
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wind — moving air
  14. swing — music
  15. mug — a face
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mug — to rob

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