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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. swing — in golf
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. rule — government
  8. bat — the animal
  9. march — music
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rule — a law
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. march — the month
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wind — to turn a key

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