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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 120 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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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: race · bark · lash · track · fork · wind · fan · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. track — a song
  4. race — a contest
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. track — to keep track
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fork — in a road
  14. track — a path
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bark — to shout
  20. race — humankind
  21. swing — to play on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — an eyelash

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