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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. row — to paddle
  7. plane — a tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. shower — rain
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. swing — music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a line
  21. swing — to play on
  22. shower — to wash
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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