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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · swing · cell · bowl · mug · spell · tear · rush

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. spring — the season
  3. swing — music
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cell — a phone
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mug — a face
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spell — magic
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bowl — a dish

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