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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 120 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bank — for money
  3. swing — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pop — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — part of the head
  10. club — a group
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to confront
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fall — the season
  16. pop — to visit
  17. club — for golf
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pop — soda
  24. wind — to turn a key

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