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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
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: bulb · row · nail · rock · wound · spell · stick · swing

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — to paddle
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. row — a line
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — letters
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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