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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. branch — a division
  3. fine — all right
  4. dip — to sink
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fine — high quality
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. swing — music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rash — hasty

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