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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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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 · fan · safe · swing · ground · leaves · straw · wound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — tied together
  5. swing — to play on
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bound — certain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ground — crushed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. swing — music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. leaves — lets stay

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