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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · rash · stock · march · tear · chip · swing · wake

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rash — a series
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. swing — music
  24. march — music

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