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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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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: hide · hand · fine · cap · fork · rock · bay · swing

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hand — help
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fine — all right
  19. swing — music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cap — of ice
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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