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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bore — to tire
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — a break
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — humankind
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. race — a contest
  22. pitch — completely
  23. swing — music
  24. wave — of the sea

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