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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. shower — to wash
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. shower — rain
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — to push
  23. swing — music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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