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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. capital — a city
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stock — goods
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. row — a line
  16. swing — music
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stock — shares
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. swing — to play on
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. hide — animal skin

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