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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: bore · key · last · bass · stock · swing · tear · chest

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. swing — to play on
  3. chest — a box
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. tear — to rip
  6. key — in music
  7. stock — goods
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. key — for a lock
  12. last — final
  13. stock — shares
  14. bass — low music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. bore — to drill
  20. swing — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — to tire

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