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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rush — hurry
  4. board — to get on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. swing — music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a committee
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bore — to drill

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