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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tear — to rip
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rule — government
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. club — a group
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rule — a law
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — for golf
  24. rule — to rule out

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