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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. staff — a stick
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bound — obliged
  13. march — music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bound — tied together

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