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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: trunk · straw · swing · pitch · mug · fork · bulb · lash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mug — to rob
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bulb — for light
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. swing — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bulb — of a plant

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