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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: club · stem · pound · swing · present · bore · temple · dip

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. swing — music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stem — to come from
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. club — for golf
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. present — the time now
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. present — a gift
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — there
  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