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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 116 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 took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. swing — to play on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rash — a series
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — hasty
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rash — on the skin

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