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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chest — of your body
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rest — a break
  6. capital — money
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. capital — a city
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — to be able to
  15. snap — to click
  16. bore — to tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — a box
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rest — what's left

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