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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: row · leaves · swing · trunk · chest · date · lash · sharp

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chest — a box
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. sharp — clever
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chest — of your body
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. date — the fruit
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chest — of your body
  24. sharp — exactly

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