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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — to be able to
  8. swing — music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. board — to get on
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. board — a committee
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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