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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
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: fall · fine · lash · swing · bear · object · last · track

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fine — high quality
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. last — finally
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a path
  13. last — to go on
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — the season
  19. track — a song
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fine — all right
  24. last — final

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