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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. face — to confront
  3. tube — a container
  4. face — part of the head
  5. file — a document
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. net — for catching
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fall — the season
  10. face — to point toward
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — in sport
  13. swing — music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. file — a tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — after costs
  18. swing — to play on
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. board — a committee
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. file — a line of people
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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