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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: board · bulb · tear · calf · bank · ruler · kid · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. board — to get on
  4. tear — from crying
  5. swing — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bank — of a river
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. swing — in golf
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bank — for money
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kid — child
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ruler — for measuring

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