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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — clever
  3. swing — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. present — there
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fall — the season
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — to tire
  23. present — a gift
  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