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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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 — to play on
  2. tear — from crying
  3. club — for dancing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — government
  7. club — for golf
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tear — to rip
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tear — from crying
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. club — a group
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rule — a law
  22. cue — a signal
  23. deal — an agreement
  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