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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: swing · rush · lash · hide · tube · wound · club · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. rush — hurry
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. swing — to play on
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. club — for golf
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — a group
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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