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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. file — a tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. swing — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. swing — to play on
  11. kid — child
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. present — the time now
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. squash — to crush
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. present — there
  20. swing — in golf
  21. present — a gift
  22. deal — to handle
  23. file — a document
  24. squash — the sport

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