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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 116 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: tear · pass · swing · current · stem · season · bowl · rest

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — electric
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. current — of water
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. swing — music
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — happening now
  22. swing — in golf
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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