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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: mouse · spring · spell · wound · swing · racket · bay · drill

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spring — the season
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spell — magic
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — letters
  19. drill — army training
  20. spring — a coil
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mouse — the animal
  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