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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. suit — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — to handle
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — to rip
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — the animal
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. swing — music

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