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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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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: cap · swing · temple · kick · snap · sharp · bore · rock

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. swing — in golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bore — to drill
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rock — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. snap — to click
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. kick — in football
  19. cap — a lid
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cap — of ice
  24. sharp — exactly

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