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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. swing — in golf
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cold — not warm
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a face
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — rain
  19. swing — music
  20. club — for golf
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cold — an illness
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mug — a cup

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