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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a lid
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — what's left
  8. swing — in golf
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hand — help
  15. cap — a hat
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. branch — a division
  24. swing — to play on

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