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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wax — to grow
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pass — a permit
  13. swing — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. charge — a price
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — in control
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — in the ear

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