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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · prune · racket · lash · mug · toast · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mug — a cup
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. toast — bread
  20. rash — a series
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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