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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: swing · mark · spring · toast · saw · deal · bark · cell

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. swing — in golf
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spring — of water
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. swing — music
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. toast — bread

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