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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. object — an aim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. last — finally
  9. object — to protest
  10. firm — decided
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. last — final
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — a thing
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bore — to tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bore — to drill
  23. swing — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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