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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.

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: spring · spell · swing · bank · ruler · date · calf · last

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spring — of water
  3. last — finally
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spell — magic
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spring — the season
  11. last — final
  12. bank — for money
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bank — for money
  15. swing — to play on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. swing — music
  20. spell — letters
  21. last — to go on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — of a river

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