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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: foot · swing · bay · prune · nail · chip · spell · last

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chip — for betting
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spell — magic
  6. chip — to eat
  7. spell — letters
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. swing — music
  13. last — to go on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. last — finally
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — a short time
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — final
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. foot — a measure
  24. nail — for a hammer

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