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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. swing — music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. swing — to play on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. season — in sport
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. snap — to click
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stem — to come from
  20. season — of the year
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bound — obliged

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