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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. drill — army training
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ground — a position
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ground — crushed
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rule — government
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. drill — a practice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — the season
  22. rule — a law
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a line

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