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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: spell · branch · bay · roll · pound · cue · swing · hide

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. roll — a cake
  7. swing — in golf
  8. roll — a list
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spell — magic
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — letters
  20. branch — a division
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — a short time
  24. swing — music

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