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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — in golf
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bore — to drill
  9. last — finally
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. deal — to handle
  13. last — to go on
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rash — a series
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. last — final
  24. rock — 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