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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — a cup
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mug — to rob
  20. hand — help
  21. rock — music
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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