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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rule — a law
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rule — government
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pound — a weight
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. file — a tool

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