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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — a container
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. swing — to play on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fall — the season
  22. scale — in music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. scale — size or range

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