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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · suit · pitcher · wave · cap · swing · straw · staff

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — letters
  4. swing — in golf
  5. suit — to fit
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. suit — in cards
  9. cap — of ice
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cap — a lid
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. suit — clothes
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a hat
  23. staff — a stick
  24. straw — a straw man

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