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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: track · snap · tear · rule · swing · bear · fan · dip

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to click
  4. dip — to sink
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — to play on
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. swing — music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — a law
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — government
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tear — to rip

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