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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. last — finally
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. last — to go on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — to drill
  10. last — final
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. scale — in music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — to play on
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — exactly

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