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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 116 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: lean · rush · swing · bowl · bore · row · tube · stock

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bore — to drill
  5. row — a line
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stock — goods
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lean — thin
  12. stock — shares
  13. tube — a container
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. row — to paddle
  24. swing — in golf

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