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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — in golf
  3. present — the time now
  4. row — to paddle
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lean — thin
  10. current — happening now
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bark — to shout
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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