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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. root — of a word
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. root — the cause
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wound — an injury
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — to play on

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