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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mate — a friend
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mine — for digging
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rest — a break
  11. cap — a hat
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mate — a partner
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bark — to shout
  22. season — in sport
  23. cap — a lid
  24. hide — to keep secret

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