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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bound — certain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. swing — music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mate — a friend
  16. shower — to wash
  17. drill — army training
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. drill — a practice
  22. swing — to play on
  23. shower — rain
  24. row — a line

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