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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — a trail
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fall — the season
  16. swing — to play on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wake — before a funeral

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