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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — a tool
  5. band — a music group
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cue — a signal
  12. swing — music
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. swing — to play on
  15. tear — to rip
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cue — a hint
  18. band — a ring
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — a division
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. band — a rubber band

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