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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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 drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — the time now
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. spell — magic
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. swing — in golf
  9. track — a path
  10. band — a music group
  11. present — a gift
  12. spell — letters
  13. present — there
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spell — a short time
  16. track — a song
  17. bat — the animal
  18. swing — music
  19. rest — a break
  20. bore — to tire
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rest — what's left
  23. band — a ring
  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