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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 · spell · swing · row · bulb · mug · bore · lash

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. swing — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spell — magic
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. swing — to play on
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mug — a face
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. row — a line
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — letters
  24. swing — in golf

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