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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: ground · lean · charge · swing · bound · cold · row · safe

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. charge — a price
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lean — to bend
  10. row — a line
  11. bound — certain
  12. cold — not warm
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. charge — electricity
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ground — crushed
  21. charge — in control
  22. cold — an illness
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — thin

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