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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. swing — in golf
  4. present — a gift
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. present — there
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. land — ground
  9. bore — to drill
  10. kid — to tease
  11. present — the time now
  12. kid — child
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — to come down
  16. hand — help
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lie — to recline
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bore — to tire
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. land — a country

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