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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. root — the cause
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. swing — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — to rip
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — to fit
  14. root — of a word
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. root — of a plant
  18. suit — in cards
  19. clip — a video
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pit — a hole
  24. clip — for paper

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