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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 120 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: rock · rush · arm · rest · swing · face · spring · spell

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. face — to confront
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rock — a stone
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to point toward
  16. swing — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — of water
  20. rush — hurry
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rock — music
  24. rest — a break

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