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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mug — to rob
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. swing — music
  9. fall — the season
  10. mug — a face
  11. pop — music
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pop — soda
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — all right
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pop — to visit
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — tied together
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — certain
  24. fall — to drop

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