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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ball — a dance
  5. clip — a video
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. clip — for paper
  14. press — a publisher
  15. foot — a measure
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. clip — to cut
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — to play on
  21. press — to push
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. press — newspapers

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