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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — to play on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. land — ground
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — hasty
  10. land — to come down
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — in cards
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — the season
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. swing — in golf
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fall — to drop

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