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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: rash · band · mug · can · last · swing · date · spell

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. swing — music
  4. spell — magic
  5. rash — a series
  6. last — final
  7. mug — to rob
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mug — a face
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spell — letters
  14. last — finally
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rash — hasty
  19. date — the fruit
  20. band — a ring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. last — to go on
  23. can — a tin
  24. mug — a cup

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