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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hand — help
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. swing — 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