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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rash — hasty
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rash — a series
  17. row — a line
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — to play on
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. club — for dancing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. swing — music

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