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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — to play on
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. craft — boats
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a skill

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