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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stock — shares
  4. club — for golf
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — to confront
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ground — a position
  10. club — for dancing
  11. swing — music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stock — goods
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — a group
  24. wake — a trail

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