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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: firm · wound · bore · swing · rush · stick · chest · cue

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chest — of your body
  11. firm — a company
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — a hint
  14. firm — decided
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chest — a box
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — steady
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. swing — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wound — an injury

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