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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pop — soda
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pop — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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