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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. mate — a friend
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bore — to drill
  10. press — to push
  11. swing — music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mate — to breed
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rock — a stone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — music
  23. pop — music
  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