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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · bear · swing · fine · bound · mine · date · lean

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bound — obliged
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. swing — music
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bound — certain
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. kick — in football

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