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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — magic
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spell — letters
  7. cap — a hat
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spell — a short time
  12. swing — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — thin
  17. cap — a lid
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bass — low music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hide — animal skin

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