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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — for money
  3. spell — letters
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. squash — to crush
  7. swing — to play on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — in golf
  24. dip — to dunk

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