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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bark · suit · arm · content · stock · tube · lash

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. content — happy
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. stock — shares
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. suit — clothes
  13. swing — in golf
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bark — to shout
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. content — the amount
  24. suit — in cards

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