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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. firm — decided
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tear — to rip
  7. firm — steady
  8. spell — letters
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. swing — to play on
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. firm — a company
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. swing — in golf
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. face — to confront
  22. suit — in cards
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — magic

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