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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. last — to go on
  3. swing — music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — to play on
  7. last — finally
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spring — of water
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bound — tied together
  17. last — final
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — the season
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bound — certain
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wind — moving air

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