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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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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: rock · club · swing · foot · bass · nail · lash · present

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — a group
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rock — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. club — for dancing
  10. present — the time now
  11. swing — in golf
  12. club — for golf
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. swing — music
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. present — there
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. lash — to lash out

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