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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. object — a thing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. swing — to play on
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. net — for catching
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. net — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — an aim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — music
  23. net — after costs
  24. object — to protest

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