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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 120 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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. track — a path
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. swing — music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. deal — to handle
  16. track — to keep track
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cold — not warm
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cold — an illness
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — a practice
  24. track — a song

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