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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: stick · mouse · swing · arm · lean · bore · board · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lean — to bend
  3. swing — in golf
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lean — thin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. swing — to play on
  17. board — a committee
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mate — a partner
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. board — to get on

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