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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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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: bore · nail · stand · march · wound · rush · swing · object

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. stand — to bear
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. swing — to play on
  6. object — an aim
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. swing — in golf
  10. march — the month
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. object — a thing
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — the month
  19. object — to protest
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. swing — music
  24. wound — an injury

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