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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bound — certain
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spell — letters
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spell — a short time
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kick — in football
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — magic

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