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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. row — a line
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bank — for money
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. swing — to play on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bank — for money

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