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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. drill — a practice
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitch — completely
  8. swing — to play on
  9. suit — to fit
  10. drill — the tool
  11. last — final
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hand — help
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. last — finally
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. swing — in golf
  24. suit — in cards

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