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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. race — humankind
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. race — a contest
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. craft — a skill
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — animal skin

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