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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. swing — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — a short time
  7. swing — to play on
  8. cap — of ice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — letters
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rock — music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — magic
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cap — a hat
  20. sharp — clever
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a lid
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hide — to keep secret

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