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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · pit · bass · straw · charge · lean · swing · degree

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. charge — a price
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pit — in a race
  7. degree — from a university
  8. charge — in control
  9. bass — the fish
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bass — low music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. degree — temperature
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. swing — music
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. degree — an amount
  24. lean — to bend

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