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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. spell — letters
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bore — to drill
  19. spell — magic
  20. snap — to click
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hide — to keep secret

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