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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: swing · pop · mug · straw · cap · dip · hide · season

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — to sink
  5. swing — music
  6. season — of the year
  7. cap — a lid
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mug — a face
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — a hat
  17. season — in sport
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mug — a cup
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pop — soda

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