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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — music
  3. rock — music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. swing — in golf
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a path
  11. swing — to play on
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — to come from
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bear — the animal
  24. scale — in 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