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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pop — to visit
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pop — music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rush — hurry
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. swing — to play on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bore — to drill

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