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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — to drill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — of the year
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. root — the cause
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. file — a tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cell — in biology
  19. root — of a word
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fall — the season
  23. root — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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