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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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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 · cell · kick · foot · shower · safe · swing · last

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. swing — in golf
  2. spell — a short time
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cell — in biology
  7. shower — rain
  8. spell — magic
  9. foot — a measure
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. last — to go on
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. swing — to play on
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. last — finally
  22. kick — in football
  23. last — final
  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