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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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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 · coach · deal · dip · stand · spring · swing · lie

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bound — obliged
  12. spring — the season
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bound — certain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — to sink
  18. swing — to play on
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bound — tied together
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — of water
  24. stand — to bear

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