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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — of water
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. swing — to play on
  12. race — a contest
  13. current — happening now
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. race — the arms race
  18. court — for sport
  19. swing — music
  20. court — of a king
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. race — humankind
  23. current — electric
  24. swing — in golf

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