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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 120 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: lash · hand · swing · branch · nail · bark · club · key

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. swing — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — to play on
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — in music
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. club — for golf
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. club — a group

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