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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: swing · bore · root · lie · stand · rock · chip · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. swing — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bore — to drill
  12. root — of a word
  13. present — a gift
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — to play on
  16. present — the time now
  17. root — the cause
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chip — in a computer

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