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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have 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 — gave birth
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. shower — rain
  8. mate — to breed
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. swing — music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mate — a friend

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