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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. vault — a safe
  15. present — the time now
  16. bound — certain
  17. perch — the fish
  18. swing — music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. present — there
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bat — the animal

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