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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. scale — size or range
  7. clip — for paper
  8. scale — in music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. staff — a stick
  12. clip — to cut
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. charge — a price
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — in control
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — employees
  21. clip — a video
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ball — a great time
  24. safe — a strongbox

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