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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cap — a lid
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. swing — music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. present — the time now
  12. ball — a great time
  13. present — a gift
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — hurry
  16. present — there
  17. cap — of ice
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cap — a hat
  21. squash — to crush
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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