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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: arm · toast · safe · mark · swing · tear · kid · rule

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. toast — bread
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. swing — music
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — a law
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rule — government
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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