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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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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: wind · current · toast · spell · cue · arm · pound · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — electric
  4. spell — magic
  5. current — happening now
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. swing — to play on
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. toast — bread
  12. swing — in golf
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cue — for pool
  20. current — of water
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. spell — letters
  24. arm — part of the body

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