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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 120 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: swing · wave · mug · mate · content · spell · race · plane

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mug — a face
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. race — a contest
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spell — magic
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mug — to rob
  20. content — the amount
  21. swing — music
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. spell — a short time
  24. content — happy

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