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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. swing — in golf
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. swing — music
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — hurry
  24. craft — boats

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