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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: rash · saw · swing · cabinet · stem · drill · bear · bore

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. swing — to play on
  5. drill — a practice
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — army training
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. swing — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — to come from
  24. saw — the tool

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