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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — certain
  7. swing — music
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ground — the earth
  24. sharp — clever

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