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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: last · prune · wound · rest · fan · lash · swing · temple

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. swing — in golf
  5. last — finally
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — to go on
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rest — a break
  14. last — final
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. swing — music

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