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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: net · present · key · bore · chest · mouse · swing · wound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. key — in music
  7. net — for catching
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — there
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. present — a gift
  16. swing — in golf
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. swing — music
  21. chest — a box
  22. swing — to play on
  23. present — the time now
  24. net — in sport

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