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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. deal — to handle
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a dance

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