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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 116 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 · branch · lash · present · pitch · sharp · fine · tear

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. swing — in golf
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — all right
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. branch — a division

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