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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: kick · swing · game · bark · bulb · cabinet · spell · bank

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. spell — magic
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. game — a match
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bank — of a river
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — for money
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. game — wild animals
  20. kick — in football
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bark — of a tree

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