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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bound — tied together
  3. swing — in golf
  4. current — happening now
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — for golf
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. current — of water
  14. swing — to play on
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lean — thin
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. club — a group
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — certain

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