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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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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: bark · can · swing · chair · prune · ball · rush · spell

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spell — a short time
  3. swing — music
  4. chair — a leader
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. spell — letters
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. swing — to play on
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — magic
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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