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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 116 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: ball · patient · rush · swing · trunk · lean · dip · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. lean — to bend
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — hurry
  7. swing — in golf
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — tied together
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ball — a great time
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — thin
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. trunk — of a tree

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