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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 124 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ground — crushed
  4. swing — in golf
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to sink
  9. charge — a price
  10. swing — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. track — a path
  13. ground — the earth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — a song
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ground — a position
  21. stock — shares
  22. track — to keep track
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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