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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. spring — a coil
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spring — of water
  6. mug — a face
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — final
  13. mug — a cup
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — the season
  21. last — finally
  22. swing — to play on
  23. last — to go on
  24. bound — certain

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