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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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 — to play on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. present — there
  4. last — to go on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. present — the time now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — final
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chair — a leader
  14. swing — in golf
  15. last — finally
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. swing — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chair — a professorship
  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