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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bank — for money
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. swing — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. bank — of a river
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bank — for money
  16. suit — clothes
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — a tool
  22. current — of water
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — an aircraft

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