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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tear — to rip
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. spell — magic
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. swing — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spell — letters
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — a short time
  17. current — of water
  18. swing — to play on
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pass — to spend time

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