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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · plane · drill · wake · bowl · lean · chair · lash

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. swing — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. drill — a practice
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chair — a leader
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. drill — army training
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lash — an eyelash

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