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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 124 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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. season — of the year
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mug — to rob
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. branch — a division
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a face
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. swing — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mug — a cup
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. hide — animal skin

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