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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. swing — to play on
  3. dip — to sink
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — finally
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. swing — music
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. last — to go on
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. swing — in golf
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. spell — magic
  24. last — final

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