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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. face — to confront
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — certain
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — music
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. face — to point toward
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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