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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: pop · rest · spring · stick · squash · spell · swing · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — letters
  9. swing — music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. squash — the sport
  12. rest — a break
  13. spell — magic
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. drill — a practice
  17. spring — a coil
  18. squash — to crush
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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