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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. roll — a list
  3. swing — in golf
  4. can — a tin
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — to play on
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — certain
  10. kick — in football
  11. swing — music
  12. stand — to bear
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — a cake
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — for sport
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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