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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 · pit · can · row · lie · mark · bound · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lie — to recline
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. mark — a trace
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bound — obliged
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bound — certain
  21. can — a tin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lie — an untruth

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