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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: wound · swing · charge · race · branch · lash · bulb · patient

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. swing — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — humankind
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. swing — to play on
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — a contest
  24. charge — a price

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