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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. swing — in golf
  10. board — to get on
  11. kid — to tease
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kid — child
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pass — a permit
  18. game — wild animals
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. game — a match
  21. board — a committee
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. shower — rain
  24. branch — a division

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