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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bass — low music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hand — help
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — music
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — of a word
  18. hand — in cards
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — in golf
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — the fish
  23. face — to confront
  24. swing — to play on

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