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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. spring — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fall — the season
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. last — final
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — to go on
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spring — a coil
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. spring — of water
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — a partner
  21. last — finally
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fall — to drop

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