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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 · mate · tear · content · wake · pass · spell · craft

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tear — to rip
  3. spell — letters
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. content — the amount
  6. spell — a short time
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pass — a permit
  9. craft — boats
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. craft — a skill
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. spell — magic
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. content — happy
  21. swing — music
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. tear — from crying

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