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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pit — in a race
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. row — a line
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pit — a hole
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. suit — to fit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. suit — in cards

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