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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. drill — army training
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cap — a hat
  8. branch — a division
  9. season — of the year
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cap — a lid
  12. season — in sport
  13. chip — to eat
  14. swing — to play on
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. swing — in golf
  20. drill — a practice
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chip — for betting

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