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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. season — of the year
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hand — help
  14. swing — music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — in cards
  19. key — for a lock
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. swing — in golf

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