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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: suit · squash · wave · swing · wind · tear

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. swing — in golf
  4. suit — in cards
  5. swing — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. swing — to play on
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wind — moving air
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tear — from crying

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