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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. toast — bread
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — a law
  5. present — a gift
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. swing — in golf
  10. present — there
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. swing — to play on
  22. present — the time now
  23. ground — the earth
  24. toast — the most admired

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