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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 120 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. drill — army training
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. suit — in cards
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. suit — to fit
  9. spring — of water
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spring — the season
  18. spell — magic
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — letters
  23. swing — in golf
  24. suit — clothes

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