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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · rush · rock · chair · spell · spring · sharp · swing

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. swing — in golf
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spell — letters
  5. rock — music
  6. spell — a short time
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. swing — to play on
  11. spring — the season
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. spring — of water
  22. spell — magic
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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