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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mark — a trace
  6. drill — army training
  7. bound — obliged
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. last — final
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. drill — a practice
  14. swing — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. swing — to play on
  17. last — to go on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — out of danger

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