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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: mouse · foot · bowl · mug · swing · hide · stick · chest

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. swing — music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chest — a box
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mug — a face
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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