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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — certain
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bound — obliged
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. swing — music

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