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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 120 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: kid · bore · staff · mouse · dip · swing · hand · bay

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — music
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. staff — a stick
  11. hand — help
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. hand — in cards

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