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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.

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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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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: fine · swing · wind · calf · row · rush · temple · bark

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. swing — to play on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. swing — music
  13. fine — high quality
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bark — to shout
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wind — moving air
  24. row — a line

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