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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. swing — music
  3. rule — government
  4. snap — to click
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. vault — a safe
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rule — a law
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a face
  15. pound — a weight
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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