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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bound — obliged
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. swing — in golf
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. current — happening now
  9. fall — the season
  10. tear — from crying
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a great time
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bound — certain
  23. current — electric
  24. tear — to rip

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