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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. swing — in golf
  3. charge — in control
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fork — in a road
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rash — a series
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. charge — a price
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — to tire
  24. fork — a garden tool

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