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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — for paper
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. clip — a video
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ground — a position
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — music
  16. clip — to cut
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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