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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: sharp · kid · march · ruler · swing · spell · lean · lash

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. march — music
  3. kid — to tease
  4. swing — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. march — the month
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kid — child
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spell — letters
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spell — magic
  22. lean — thin
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lean — to bend

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