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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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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spell — magic
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. march — music
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — a tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. spell — letters
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. spell — a short time
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. trunk — of a tree

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