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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — in golf
  5. current — happening now
  6. cold — an illness
  7. current — of water
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. current — electric
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. dip — to sink
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. season — in sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — of the year
  24. hide — animal skin

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