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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — the amount
  4. swing — music
  5. rock — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. present — the time now
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — a stone
  16. content — happy
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — to confront
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. face — to point toward
  24. present — there

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