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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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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: rock · bowl · swing · chip · lash · arm · root · toast

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rock — music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. toast — bread
  15. swing — music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. root — the cause
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. root — of a word
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. swing — to play on

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