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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. firm — decided
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a path
  6. swing — in golf
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — the season
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. track — a song
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. snap — to click
  15. swing — music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bound — tied together
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bound — certain
  24. spring — of water

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