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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 · straw · swing · present · leaves · racket · spring · current

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. present — there
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spring — the season
  10. current — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the sport
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — of water
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. swing — music

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