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

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. tear — from crying
  3. row — to paddle
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rule — government
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — a committee
  11. rule — a law
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. tear — to rip
  14. row — a line
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. board — to get on
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — clothes
  23. swing — music
  24. fine — all right

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