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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. scale — size or range
  12. swing — to play on
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stand — to bear
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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