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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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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 · tear · mate · swing · spell · bay · mouse · stand

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. swing — music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mate — a partner
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. swing — in golf
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. swing — to play on
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. tear — to rip
  19. squash — to crush
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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