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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bore — to tire
  7. swing — music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chair — a leader
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cue — a signal
  24. chair — a professorship

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