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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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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: pit · wound · pass · track · hide · swing · mug · firm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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 — to keep secret
  2. pit — a hole
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pit — in a race
  5. firm — decided
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. swing — in golf
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pass — a permit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. firm — a company
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — steady
  21. track — a path
  22. mug — a face
  23. wound — an injury
  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