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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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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: last · kick · spell · wave · swing · pitcher

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. last — finally
  3. spell — magic
  4. last — to go on
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. last — final
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. swing — music
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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