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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tube — the underground
  5. capital — a city
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. capital — money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tube — a container
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — to keep secret

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