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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: pitcher · press · fork · band · last · swing · lash · bound

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a music group
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — tied together
  7. press — to push
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fork — in a road
  14. last — to go on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. press — a publisher
  18. last — final
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — music
  21. last — finally
  22. bound — certain
  23. band — a ring
  24. bound — obliged

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