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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · fork · swing · board · perch · spell · spring · lash

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spring — of water
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spring — a coil
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spell — magic
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. swing — in golf
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. board — a committee
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spring — the season
  18. spell — letters
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. swing — music
  24. fork — to eat with

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