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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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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: last · bay · suit · pound · swing · tear · mug · bore

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. last — to go on
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mug — a face
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a cup
  13. swing — in golf
  14. suit — to fit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — final
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pound — a weight
  24. last — finally

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