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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. object — to protest
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — an aim
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. field — farmland
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. field — a subject
  13. scale — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. object — a thing
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. field — for sport
  21. fork — in a road
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fork — to eat with

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