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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. club — for dancing
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bulb — for light
  7. swing — music
  8. club — for golf
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mug — a face
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mug — to rob
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — in golf
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hand — in cards
  21. deal — to handle
  22. squash — the sport
  23. club — a group
  24. hand — help

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