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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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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: suit · land · swing · branch · tear · rush · row · board

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. swing — music
  3. row — to paddle
  4. tear — from crying
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — a division
  8. swing — in golf
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. board — a committee
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. row — a line
  21. rush — hurry
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — to get on
  24. land — a country

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