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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · swing · temple · spell · bat · bulb · arm · fine

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. swing — to play on
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — magic
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spell — letters
  12. content — the amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. swing — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. bat — the animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. swing — in golf

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