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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kick — in football
  4. staff — a stick
  5. foot — a measure
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — employees
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ground — crushed
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. ground — a position
  13. staff — employees
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ground — the earth

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