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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ground — a position
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. swing — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. can — to be able to
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bear — to put up with

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