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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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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. swing — music
  7. mine — for digging
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — for money
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. mark — a grade
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bore — to tire

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