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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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Word bank
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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: bulb · stand · wind · game · rash · swing · tear · board

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tear — to rip
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tear — from crying
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a committee
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. game — a match
  20. board — to get on
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stand — for spectators
  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