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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: content · can · face · drill · swing · squash · prune · coach

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. face — to point toward
  11. drill — a practice
  12. squash — to crush
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. content — happy
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. can — to be able to
  23. face — to confront
  24. content — the amount

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