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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: race · straw · swing · pass · stand · pop · spell · ground

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. race — humankind
  9. pop — music
  10. race — a contest
  11. ground — the earth
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. race — the arms race
  17. pop — soda
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. swing — in golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. pop — to visit
  24. ground — crushed

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