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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: cap · lie · clip · swing · arm · season · hide · squash

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. clip — for paper
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. swing — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. clip — a video
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — of ice
  14. clip — to cut
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. squash — to crush
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. squash — the vegetable

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