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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pop — soda
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pop — music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — music

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