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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: band · lash · wind · bass · ruler · wake · swing · racket

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — music
  5. band — a music group
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. band — a ring
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wake — a trail

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