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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — in golf
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. squash — to crush
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — a container
  11. swing — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — the month
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tube — the underground
  21. swing — to play on
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. patient — a sick person

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