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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 · fine · spring · net · lash · chest · pit · board

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. net — for catching
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. net — in sport
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. swing — music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spring — a coil
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — a committee
  18. spring — the season
  19. fine — all right
  20. board — to get on
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. net — after costs
  24. chest — a box

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