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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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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: chip · saw · leaves · tear · trunk · rash · swing · degree

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — a series
  3. degree — an amount
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. swing — in golf
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rash — hasty
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. degree — from a university
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — the tool

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