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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: kid · scale · lash · swing · fan · march · pitcher · wake

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wake — a trail
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. scale — in music
  7. march — music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. scale — size or range
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fan — to cool the air

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