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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. swing — to play on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. swing — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. object — a thing
  9. root — of a word
  10. object — to protest
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. object — an aim
  13. swing — in golf
  14. root — the cause
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wind — moving air
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wind — to turn a key

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