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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — to go on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rock — music
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ground — a position
  19. last — finally
  20. cue — for pool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. last — final
  23. fork — in a road
  24. swing — music

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