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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a grade
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bass — the fish
  9. object — an aim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. object — to protest
  17. season — of the year
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — in sport
  20. snap — to click
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bass — low music
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — to add flavour

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