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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: squash · swing · pass · present · bore · kid · spell · calf

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. swing — to play on
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. present — a gift
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. swing — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spell — letters
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. present — there
  24. squash — the vegetable

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