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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: chest · foot · swing · rush · pass · toast · bore · cap

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bore — to drill
  4. foot — a measure
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. swing — music
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chest — of your body
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cap — a hat
  14. toast — bread
  15. rush — hurry
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pass — a permit
  22. chest — a box
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chest — of your body

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