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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. swing — music
  6. last — final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — finally
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — in golf
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. last — to go on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — hurry
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. hide — animal skin

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