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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · present · rule · bore · swing · stem

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rule — government
  7. present — the time now
  8. rule — a law
  9. present — there
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bore — to drill
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. present — a gift
  16. bore — to tire
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. swing — music

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