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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. swing — in golf
  5. root — of a plant
  6. swing — music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. root — the cause
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bat — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lean — thin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. root — of a word

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