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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · drill · swing · object · fan · bore · march · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. drill — the tool
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — army training
  7. swing — music
  8. object — an aim
  9. bore — to tire
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. drill — a practice
  16. march — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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