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

Word bank: dip · wind · mark · present · swing · kick

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wind — moving air
  4. swing — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. present — a gift
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. swing — in golf
  10. present — the time now
  11. wind — moving air
  12. kick — in football
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. swing — to play on
  17. present — there
  18. kick — a thrill

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