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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ground — the earth
  10. swing — music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. swing — to play on
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. ground — a position
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bound — certain
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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