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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: swing · race · bank · bowl · mug · content · rest · lash

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mug — to rob
  4. swing — to play on
  5. content — happy
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — the amount
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. swing — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — a contest
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mug — a face
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. race — humankind

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