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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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 — music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. swing — in golf
  7. staff — a stick
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rest — a break
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ground — a position
  14. staff — employees
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. band — a ring
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. staff — employees
  20. rest — what's left
  21. band — a music group
  22. ground — crushed
  23. dip — to sink
  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