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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · club · stand · hide · kick · fork

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fork — in a road
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. swing — music
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. swing — in golf
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hide — animal skin

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