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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. season — of the year
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fine — all right
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. bore — to drill
  20. band — a music group
  21. fine — high quality
  22. band — a ring
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. season — in sport

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