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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. swing — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. spell — a short time
  14. swing — in golf
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — magic
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. swing — to play on

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