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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spell — magic
  5. swing — in golf
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — a short time
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. swing — music
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  24. roll — a list

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