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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · swing · fan · squash · lie · bay · drill · leaves

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to tire
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — army training
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — a practice
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. swing — music
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. leaves — to go away

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