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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: temple · swing · stand · rock · bore · wax · present · object

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bore — to drill
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. swing — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rock — a stone
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. present — there
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rock — music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. present — the time now
  24. object — an aim

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