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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 · foot · object · last · wound · swing · stand · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. last — to go on
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. last — finally
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. last — final
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spell — magic
  15. swing — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spell — a short time
  24. foot — a measure

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