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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — a company
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. swing — in golf
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lean — thin
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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