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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tear — to rip
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — to get on
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — in sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kid — child
  11. swing — in golf
  12. board — a committee
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. swing — music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fine — all right
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fine — high quality

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