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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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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. present — the time now
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. present — there
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chair — a leader
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — rain
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — a gift

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