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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: bore · clip · swing · cabinet · mark · content · temple · nail

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. clip — for paper
  5. content — the amount
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bore — to drill
  8. clip — to cut
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — to play on
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bore — to tire
  14. content — happy
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — music
  18. clip — a video
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mark — to pay attention

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