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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. swing — in golf
  6. season — in sport
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. season — of the year
  16. board — to get on
  17. charge — electricity
  18. swing — to play on
  19. charge — a price
  20. bass — the fish
  21. charge — in control
  22. sharp — clever
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. swing — music

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