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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 120 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: lash · club · row · wave · temple · land · swing · dip

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. swing — in golf
  3. land — to come down
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. club — for dancing
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. club — a group
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. swing — to play on
  13. club — for golf
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. land — ground
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. land — a country
  20. dip — to sink
  21. row — to paddle
  22. swing — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wave — with your hand

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