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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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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: bark · season · arm · rest · ball · swing · fine · tear

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rest — what's left
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. swing — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — in sport
  11. fine — all right
  12. season — of the year
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rest — a break
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. tear — from crying
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — part of the body

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