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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. file — a tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. swing — to play on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a line of people
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. row — to paddle
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a document
  19. pit — a hole
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — to keep secret

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