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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: swing · bat · bulb · lie · ground · sharp · bore · fine

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ground — a position
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. swing — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — all right
  20. ground — crushed
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fine — high quality

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