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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: hide · swing · rash · land · season · hand · leaves · tube

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. swing — to play on
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. tube — the underground
  6. season — of the year
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. swing — music
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. land — to come down
  12. rash — a series
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. season — in sport
  17. swing — in golf
  18. tube — a container
  19. land — a country
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — ground
  23. hand — in cards
  24. leaves — to go away

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