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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
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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 · swing · tube · fall · bound · deal · date · perch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bound — certain
  5. fall — the season
  6. swing — in golf
  7. date — the fruit
  8. swing — music
  9. spell — letters
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tube — the underground
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — to drop

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