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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fall — the season
  7. bore — to drill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — the time now
  11. race — the arms race
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. saw — the tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — to tire
  24. present — there

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