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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. present — there
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — in golf
  8. band — a music group
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rest — a break
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. present — a gift
  14. drill — army training
  15. rest — what's left
  16. swing — to play on
  17. band — a ring
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. bore — to tire
  24. drill — a practice

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