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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 116 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: march · fall · shower · racket · swing · dip · staff · spell

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. swing — music
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — to drop
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — to sink
  11. staff — employees
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — in golf
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. shower — to wash
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fall — the season
  18. march — the month
  19. staff — employees
  20. spell — letters
  21. staff — a stick
  22. march — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fall — to drop

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