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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: date · season · lash · mine · leaves · swing · saw · pop

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pop — to visit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pop — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pop — soda
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. date — the fruit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. saw — the tool

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