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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: craft · row · swing · mate · bank · lash · rush · bark

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. craft — boats
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. row — a line
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. swing — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. swing — to play on
  24. craft — a skill

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