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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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cue — for pool
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — for golf
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. club — a group
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. present — a gift
  17. cue — a hint
  18. present — there
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. club — for dancing
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lash — to lash out

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