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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · swing · pound · root · scale · fine · nail · lash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. scale — in music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fine — all right
  10. root — of a word
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. root — the cause
  15. swing — in golf
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. nail — for a hammer

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