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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bound — certain
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. prune — to trim
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — tied together
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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