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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wound — an injury
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rock — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — music
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bound — certain
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bound — tied together
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rock — a stone
  23. firm — steady
  24. pass — a permit

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