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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: rule · swing · rock · tear · present · jam · bay · tube

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — in golf
  3. present — the time now
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — a container
  7. present — a gift
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. present — there
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rule — a law
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — government
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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