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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.

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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: staff · hide · bear · swing · dip · mate · rest · pitch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — a break
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. dip — to sink
  13. staff — employees
  14. rest — what's left
  15. staff — a stick
  16. swing — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bear — the animal

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