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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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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 · staff · racket · toast · perch · sharp · deal · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. swing — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. toast — bread
  22. staff — a stick
  23. sharp — clever
  24. swing — in golf

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