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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: content · spell · chest · roll · dip · swing · craft · cap

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cap — a hat
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — a short time
  5. swing — music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. swing — to play on
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. roll — a list
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. craft — boats
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. craft — a skill
  17. content — the amount
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cap — of ice
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — letters
  23. content — happy
  24. roll — a cake

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