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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: swing · bore · pitcher · rush · cabinet · bank · trunk · sharp

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — to tire
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — hurry
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. sharp — clever
  11. swing — music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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