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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. object — to protest
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — a thing
  5. row — to paddle
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. object — an aim
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — in music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. row — a line
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. key — for a lock
  24. swing — music

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