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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cold — not warm
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ball — a great time
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. press — to push
  15. swing — in golf
  16. ball — a dance
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. swing — to play on
  24. leaves — to go away

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