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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — a tin
  3. swing — music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. present — a gift
  6. current — of water
  7. snap — to click
  8. present — there
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bound — certain
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — happening now
  19. object — a thing
  20. swing — to play on
  21. current — electric
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. present — the time now

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