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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. chest — a box
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chest — of your body
  20. march — music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. chest — of your body

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