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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. toast — bread
  5. swing — in golf
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spring — of water
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. track — to keep track
  13. spring — a coil
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spring — the season
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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