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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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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: lash · bank · bound · swing · degree · toast · arm · deal

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bank — of a river
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. toast — bread
  11. deal — to handle
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bank — for money
  16. degree — temperature
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. degree — from a university
  22. swing — to play on
  23. degree — an amount
  24. swing — music

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