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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. court — of a king
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. court — for sport
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — in football
  16. court — of law
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. lie — to recline
  21. swing — music
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — to drill
  24. swing — to play on

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