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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wound — an injury
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — hurry
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spell — letters
  21. season — in sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. saw — the tool

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