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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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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: pop · date · dip · can · spell · rush · snap · swing

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pop — music
  3. spell — letters
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. spell — magic
  7. date — the fruit
  8. can — a tin
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — a short time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — in golf
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. snap — to click
  22. pop — soda
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. date — on the calendar

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