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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: swing · sharp · date · branch · coach · snap · bound · bore

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. swing — in golf
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — certain
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — to drill
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. swing — music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bound — tied together
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. snap — to click
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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