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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. board — a committee
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — in golf
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. swing — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stand — to bear
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. board — to get on
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stand — on your feet
  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