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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — part of the head
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wax — to grow
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — of the year
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tear — from crying
  19. face — to confront
  20. swing — music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tear — from crying

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