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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bound — certain
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — tied together
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bound — obliged
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — a sick person

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