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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — a company
  4. object — a thing
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — an aim
  10. shower — rain
  11. bore — to tire
  12. firm — decided
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rest — a break
  16. object — to protest
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. swing — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — steady
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cap — a lid
  24. swing — to play on

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