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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 120 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: swing · last · cue · tear · pit · mouse

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. swing — music
  3. pit — in a race
  4. tear — from crying
  5. last — to go on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. last — final
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. last — finally
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. tear — from crying
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mouse — for a computer

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