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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 120 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: swing · pass · ruler · arm · tear · march · deal · rule

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. march — the month
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tear — to rip
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. swing — to play on
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rule — a law
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rule — government

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