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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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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: hide · swing · wind · rush · fork · scale · lie · rock

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rush — hurry
  4. scale — size or range
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — moving air

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