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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. kick — in football
  4. spring — of water
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — certain
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. clip — to cut
  19. spring — the season
  20. clip — a video
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. swing — in golf
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bound — tied together

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