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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rule — government
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rule — a law
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. snap — to click
  13. swing — to play on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — to crush
  17. swing — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bark — to shout
  21. swing — in golf
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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