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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: tear · stand · swing · cue · spell · lash · rush · object

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — letters
  3. object — an aim
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. object — to protest
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spell — a short time
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. swing — music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spell — magic
  22. swing — in golf
  23. object — a thing
  24. rush — hurry

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