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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bank — for money
  8. suit — to fit
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — clothes
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — the tool
  13. swing — in golf
  14. tear — from crying
  15. race — a contest
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bound — tied together
  21. drill — a practice
  22. race — the arms race
  23. drill — army training
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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