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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: season · hide · leaves · rule · bear · pitcher · swing · tear

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. swing — music
  14. season — of the year
  15. rule — government
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rule — a law

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