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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — completely
  3. swing — in golf
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fall — the season
  12. spell — letters
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. capital — money
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. spell — magic
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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