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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. season — in sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. clip — to cut
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bank — of a river
  7. squash — to crush
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. swing — music
  10. season — of the year
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. tube — a container
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mark — a grade
  17. squash — the sport
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — a video
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — for money
  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