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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. deal — to handle
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fork — in a road
  10. swing — music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cue — a hint
  21. branch — a division
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. arm — part of the body

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