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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bound — obliged
  3. swing — in golf
  4. staff — a stick
  5. club — a group
  6. current — happening now
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for dancing
  9. current — of water
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — tied together
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. club — for golf
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. swing — music
  22. bound — certain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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