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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · chest · craft · pass · swing · rule

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rule — government
  3. chest — a box
  4. swing — music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. craft — boats
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — letters
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — a law

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