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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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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: last · kick · spell · wave · swing · pitcher · bear · kid

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. swing — music
  3. last — finally
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. last — final
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. last — to go on
  8. kid — child
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. kid — to tease
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bear — the animal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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