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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: march · straw · swing · bay · lash · leaves · rule · board

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. march — music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. board — a committee
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — government
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rule — a law
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. leaves — of a tree

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