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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: fine · last · bore · pass · stick · swing · net · chest

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — finally
  13. chest — of your body
  14. swing — to play on
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. last — final
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. last — to go 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