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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: bulb · pound · hide · spell · swing · scale · wind · race

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. spell — magic
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. swing — music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wind — moving air
  12. scale — in music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — humankind
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spell — a short time
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — the arms race
  24. spell — letters

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