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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 116 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bore — to drill
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. scale — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fall — the season
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — in golf

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