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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. swing — music
  10. fine — all right
  11. squash — the sport
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fine — high quality
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. game — a match

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