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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. swing — in golf
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — a gift
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pop — soda
  9. last — final
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — music
  13. spring — the season
  14. present — there
  15. pop — music
  16. last — finally
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. last — to go on
  23. spring — of water
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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