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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 120 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 · temple · fan · swing · pound · kid · mug · squash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. swing — to play on
  17. kid — to tease
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. kid — child
  20. mug — a face
  21. pound — a weight
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. swing — music
  24. pound — for dogs

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