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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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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: wound · swing · lash · scale · branch · lean · cue · band

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a music group
  3. wound — an injury
  4. swing — music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. branch — a division
  8. swing — to play on
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wound — an injury
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. band — a ring
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. scale — in music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cue — a hint

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