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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bank — of a river
  10. swing — music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to tire
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. swing — in golf

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