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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. swing — in golf
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. swing — music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mug — to rob
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mug — a cup
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bound — certain
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mug — a face

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