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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. drill — army training
  9. bound — obliged
  10. track — a song
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. track — a path
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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