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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. row — a line
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spell — magic
  9. capital — a city
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. spell — a short time
  13. suit — in cards
  14. tear — from crying
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. capital — money
  21. spell — letters
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. row — a quarrel

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