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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. roll — a list
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. craft — a skill
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. swing — in golf
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. craft — boats
  15. roll — a cake
  16. swing — to play on
  17. snap — to click
  18. craft — a handicraft

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