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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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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: mug · chip · prune · lash · swing · drill · bank · fall

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fall — to drop
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bank — of a river
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mug — a face
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fall — to drop
  17. swing — music
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fall — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chip — for betting

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