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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 · swing · kid · field · lean · bark · bank · perch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lean — to bend
  6. kid — to tease
  7. field — a subject
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — farmland
  15. swing — in golf
  16. kid — child
  17. field — for sport
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — thin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lean — to rest against
  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