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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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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: hand · rest · spell · swing · pitcher · stand · snap · bay

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rest — a break
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. swing — music
  7. spell — letters
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. snap — to click
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — to play on
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hand — help
  24. spell — magic

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