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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 · pass · scale · arm · ruler · lash · bark · march

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. march — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. scale — size or range
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — in golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — to shout
  22. swing — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pass — to spend time

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