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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rock — a stone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. root — of a word
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. swing — to play on
  16. firm — decided
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — to handle
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — in sport
  21. rock — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — a company

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