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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: hide · chair · temple · bore · roll · swing · mark · stem

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chair — a leader
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — to drill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stem — to come from
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. roll — a cake
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. roll — a list

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