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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. swing — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rock — music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a grade
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ground — the earth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. swing — in golf
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ground — crushed
  23. swing — to play on
  24. perch — the fish

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