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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bound — certain
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. band — a ring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. swing — music

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