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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 116 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 · squash · cap · bore · present · spell · straw · scale

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. spell — magic
  4. cap — a lid
  5. present — there
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bore — to drill
  16. scale — in music
  17. bore — to tire
  18. squash — the sport
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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