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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: net · rush · lean · swing · bear · key · lash · march

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. net — after costs
  5. swing — to play on
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. lean — thin
  9. swing — in golf
  10. march — the month
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — in music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. march — music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. swing — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. net — for catching
  24. key — for a lock

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