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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 120 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 · squash · mine · pit · spring · snap · safe · bound

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spring — of water
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. spring — the season
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bound — tied together
  9. snap — to click
  10. swing — to play on
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pit — in a race
  21. squash — to crush
  22. swing — music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. squash — the sport

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