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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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Word bank
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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: tube · wave · swing · row · arm · degree · lash · bass

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. tube — a container
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. swing — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. degree — from a university
  12. swing — in golf
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. swing — to play on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bass — the fish
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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