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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. swing — in golf
  3. face — to point toward
  4. swing — music
  5. file — a document
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rash — hasty
  8. face — to confront
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. file — a tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — in sport
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rash — a series
  24. season — of the year

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