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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: bore · swing · last · scale · wave · stick · temple · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. file — a document
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bore — to tire
  12. last — to go on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. last — final
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. last — finally
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — in golf
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. file — a tool

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