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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rule — a law
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mine — for digging
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. court — of a king
  13. rule — government
  14. court — of law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. snap — to click
  20. court — for sport
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. swing — to play on

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