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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: swing · rule · pop · mouse · bay · present · tear · can

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — to be able to
  12. present — a gift
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. swing — music
  19. present — there
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — the time now
  22. rule — a law
  23. pop — music
  24. bay — a horse colour

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