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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: present · fan · jam · bound · rule · wake · lean · swing

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rule — a law
  3. present — a gift
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — to play on
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. swing — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. swing — in golf
  15. present — the time now
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lean — thin
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. bound — certain

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