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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: bulb · cabinet · march · bore · swing · stand · chest · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. march — music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — the month
  24. chest — a box

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