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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — in sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mark — a trace
  5. spell — letters
  6. spring — the season
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rash — hasty
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spell — magic
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rash — a series
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rash — on the skin

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