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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.

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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: deal · wound · swing · hide · bowl · bay · chest · stick

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. swing — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chest — a box
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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