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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: swing · fall · scale · drill · spell · leaves · pop · suit

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. drill — army training
  5. swing — in golf
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. swing — music
  10. spell — magic
  11. pop — soda
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — letters
  14. fall — the season
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pop — music
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — a practice
  22. scale — in music
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. swing — to play on

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