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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. last — final
  4. bore — to tire
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rock — a stone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. last — to go on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. last — finally
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rock — music

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