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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 · nail · rest · capital · dip · stick · firm · swing

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. spell — a short time
  9. capital — a city
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — decided
  12. spell — magic
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. swing — in golf
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — money
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. capital — a big letter

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