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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. swing — to play on
  6. tear — from crying
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. board — to get on
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pop — music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. board — a committee

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