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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. net — in sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. shower — rain
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bound — tied together
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pop — soda
  13. rule — government
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rule — a law
  16. pop — music
  17. face — to confront
  18. mark — a grade
  19. swing — music
  20. bound — certain
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bound — obliged
  24. swing — in golf

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