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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bound — obliged
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. craft — boats
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bore — to tire
  14. current — electric
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. craft — a skill
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bore — to drill
  21. current — of water
  22. last — finally
  23. swing — in golf
  24. last — final

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