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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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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: wake · swing · lash · spell · firm · shower · mate · rash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. swing — music
  4. spell — magic
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — steady
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — to play on
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — a short time
  15. shower — rain
  16. wake — a trail
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. firm — decided
  24. rash — a series

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