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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.

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: mine · hide · rush · key · stem · capital · squash · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. capital — a city
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. swing — in golf
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stem — to come from
  17. key — in music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. capital — money
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mine — an explosive
  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