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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bound — obliged
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. swing — music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wake — a trail
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — in cards
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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