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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — in golf
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mug — a face
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bound — certain
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bound — obliged
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — army training
  24. jam — a tight spot

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