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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: last · spring · swing · suit · content · squash · row · foot

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. spring — the season
  3. swing — to play on
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spring — a coil
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. spring — of water
  11. swing — in golf
  12. content — the amount
  13. foot — a measure
  14. suit — to fit
  15. content — happy
  16. squash — to crush
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. last — to go on
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. last — finally
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — final

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