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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. object — an aim
  3. swing — to play on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. object — to protest
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. object — a thing
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bore — to drill
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fall — the season
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lean — thin
  24. bear — the animal

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