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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · tear · ruler · season · perch · bear

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. season — of the year
  8. swing — to play on
  9. tear — from crying
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — to rip
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. season — in sport

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