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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 116 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: swing · pound · can · saw · coach · branch · lash · spell

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spell — magic
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. swing — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. swing — in golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. can — a tin
  24. spell — a short time

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