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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 116 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 · drill · stick · row · rest · swing · lie · pop

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spell — magic
  4. row — to paddle
  5. drill — army training
  6. pop — to visit
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. drill — a practice
  10. swing — to play on
  11. spell — letters
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. swing — music
  20. rest — a break
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rest — what's left
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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