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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. club — a group
  5. suit — in cards
  6. land — ground
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. suit — clothes
  11. club — for dancing
  12. swing — to play on
  13. land — a country
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lean — to bend
  16. suit — to fit
  17. board — a committee
  18. lean — thin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — to get on
  21. tear — to rip
  22. land — to come down
  23. swing — music
  24. club — for golf

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