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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kid — to tease
  8. swing — music
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. toast — bread
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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