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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bore — to drill
  6. season — in sport
  7. band — a music group
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bore — to tire
  13. band — a ring
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. shower — to wash
  16. season — of the year
  17. wound — an injury
  18. shower — rain
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wound — an injury
  21. current — of water
  22. swing — music
  23. cue — a signal
  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