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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. current — electric
  4. swing — in golf
  5. branch — a division
  6. spell — magic
  7. pass — a permit
  8. current — happening now
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spell — letters
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. pass — to succeed

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