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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. swing — to play on
  9. kick — in football
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spell — magic
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — in golf
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. swing — music

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