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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: stem · tear · swing · face · bark · roll · safe · club

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. tear — to rip
  3. swing — to play on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. tear — from crying
  7. face — part of the head
  8. club — for golf
  9. bark — to shout
  10. roll — a list
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — music
  15. roll — a cake
  16. face — to confront
  17. club — a group
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tear — from crying
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. club — for dancing

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