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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bore — to tire
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. swing — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — to point toward
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. face — to confront
  24. wound — an injury

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