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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: leaves · swing · bore · firm · rest · fine · dip · cap

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fine — all right
  7. rest — a break
  8. firm — steady
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fine — high quality
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. swing — in golf
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rest — what's left
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. firm — decided
  21. bore — to drill
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bore — to tire
  24. dip — to sink

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