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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · swing · spring · hide · jam · club · bark · spell

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — letters
  10. spring — of water
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. spring — the season
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spell — a short time
  18. club — for golf
  19. swing — in golf
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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