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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. track — a song
  5. land — to come down
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. land — a country
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. swing — in golf
  10. face — part of the head
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — to keep track
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. swing — to play on
  20. track — a path
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — to confront
  23. land — ground
  24. face — to point toward

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