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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bore — to drill
  7. band — a music group
  8. degree — temperature
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. degree — from a university
  12. squash — to crush
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — the sport
  16. foot — a measure
  17. degree — an amount
  18. band — a ring
  19. swing — music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — to recline
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. band — a rubber band

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