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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — to be able to
  4. key — in music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. swing — in golf
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — the most important part
  14. dip — to sink
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cue — a signal
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — to play on
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cue — for pool
  24. can — a tin

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