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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. swing — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fall — to drop
  11. swing — to play on
  12. tube — a container
  13. rash — a series
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fall — to drop

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