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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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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 · bear · swing · rash · current · season · staff · stand

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. swing — to play on
  6. season — in sport
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. swing — music
  13. season — of the year
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. current — of water
  21. rash — hasty
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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