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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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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: branch · wind · scale · cell · pass · lash · bowl · swing

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cell — in biology
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. pass — a permit
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. branch — a division
  14. scale — in music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. cell — a phone
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — for weighing

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