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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mug — to rob
  9. swing — to play on
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. suit — to fit
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. clip — a video
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. suit — clothes
  21. swing — music
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. suit — in cards

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