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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: bore · safe · swing · rule · wound · lash · cell · chair

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bore — to tire
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rule — a law
  11. swing — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rule — government
  18. chair — a leader
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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