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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. swing — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bat — the animal
  9. swing — to play on
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — the season
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — a division
  17. swing — in golf
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spring — of water
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — a coil
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. patient — a sick person

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