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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: wave · wound · bowl · pass · spell · swing · roll · foot

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. spell — letters
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. roll — a list
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. swing — music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spell — a short time
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spell — magic
  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