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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bound — tied together
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bank — of a river
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — part of the head
  14. drill — army training
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — to confront
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — certain
  22. saw — the tool
  23. swing — music
  24. bound — obliged

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