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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: hide · jam · mate · bound · swing · toast · craft · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. swing — music
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. craft — boats
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — a friend
  19. spring — the season
  20. swing — to play on
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bound — tied together
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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