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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: band · ruler · lash · jam · tube · row · sharp · swing

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — the underground
  10. row — to paddle
  11. band — a ring
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. band — a music group
  14. tube — a container
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. row — a line
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. jam — in traffic

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