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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — to recline
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. shower — rain
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bore — to tire
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stand — to bear
  16. shower — to wash
  17. present — a gift
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. present — there
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. present — the time now

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