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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: bound · drill · dip · trunk · last · swing · club · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. last — to go on
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bound — certain
  6. swing — music
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. club — a group
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. drill — the tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — a practice
  15. club — for golf
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. last — final
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. club — for dancing
  21. drill — army training
  22. swing — in golf
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. last — finally

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