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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. saw — the tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — to play on
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — happy
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. content — the amount
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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