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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mate — a friend
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bass — low music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bound — certain
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mate — to breed
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. swing — music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — to play on

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