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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 116 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: saw · swing · dip · bore · pop · mug · stem · deal

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mug — a face
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. swing — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pop — soda
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stem — to come from
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mug — a cup

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