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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. object — to protest
  3. swing — music
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mug — a cup
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mine — for digging
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — a face
  13. root — the cause
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. object — an aim
  18. season — in sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. object — a thing
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. root — of a word
  24. mine — an explosive

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