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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bound — certain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chest — a box
  13. bound — obliged
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. can — a tin
  19. mate — a partner
  20. swing — music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — to play on
  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