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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bore — to drill
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stem — to come from
  19. snap — to click
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. sharp — exactly

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