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

Word bank: bound · swing · mug · game · cold · bay · vault · stand

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cold — not warm
  8. game — a match
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — certain
  15. game — wild animals
  16. vault — a safe
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bound — obliged
  23. mug — a face
  24. swing — music

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