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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 116 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 · trunk · squash · rest · hide · present · season · stick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. swing — music
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — the sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. squash — to crush
  17. season — of the year
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rest — a break
  21. present — there
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rest — what's left

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