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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: mouse · bay · bank · march · pound · bat · lash · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. march — the month
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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