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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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468
Word bank
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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: swing · bore · object · club · leaves · rash · trunk · snap

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. object — to protest
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. swing — in golf
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. club — for dancing
  11. swing — music
  12. club — for golf
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. club — a group
  15. snap — to click
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. object — an aim
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. object — a thing
  23. bore — to tire
  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