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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — there
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bore — to drill
  11. present — a gift
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. present — the time now
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — to spend time

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