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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.

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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: racket · swing · fall · cabinet · rest · race · spell · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — letters
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — magic
  9. swing — music
  10. fall — the season
  11. race — humankind
  12. mug — to rob
  13. swing — to play on
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. swing — in golf
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rest — a break
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — a face
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — a short time
  24. racket — a loud noise

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