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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cell — in biology
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bark — to shout
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — certain
  18. cell — a phone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — music
  24. hand — help

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