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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: swing · season · object · suit · bowl · last · hide · file

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. last — to go on
  6. suit — in cards
  7. object — an aim
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — final
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. swing — to play on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — a thing
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. season — of the year
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. swing — in golf
  22. object — to protest
  23. last — finally
  24. swing — music

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