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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. swing — in golf
  3. last — finally
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. content — happy
  8. land — to come down
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. content — the amount
  12. swing — to play on
  13. last — to go on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. swing — music
  18. land — a country
  19. hand — help
  20. last — final
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — ground

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