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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. firm — a company
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — the time now
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. craft — a skill
  9. firm — decided
  10. craft — boats
  11. firm — steady
  12. swing — music
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — the underground
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. capital — money
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. tube — a container
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. craft — a handicraft

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