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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · hide · staff · wave · ball · tear · swing · mug

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mug — to rob
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ball — a dance
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mug — a cup
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — to protest
  15. tear — from crying
  16. swing — music
  17. object — a thing
  18. tear — from crying
  19. object — an aim
  20. mug — a face
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — to play on

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