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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — a law
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a leader
  11. tear — to rip
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rule — government
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rash — a series
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rash — hasty
  24. swing — music

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