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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — soda
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a committee
  7. pop — music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. board — to get on
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. hand — help
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lean — thin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — to bend
  24. coach — a trainer

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