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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: swing · bound · file · staff · bark · rock · fine · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — music
  6. bound — certain
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bound — tied together
  9. file — a line of people
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. swing — music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fine — all right
  24. staff — a stick

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