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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bound — certain
  6. swing — music
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fine — high quality
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fine — all right

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