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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. swing — music
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tear — from crying
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — to play on

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