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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fine — all right
  4. bore — to drill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fine — high quality
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. roll — a list

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