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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: kick · leaves · craft · rock · hand · spell · wake · swing

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. swing — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wake — a trail
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hand — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rock — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. craft — boats
  21. hand — help
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rock — to move gently

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