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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ball — a dance
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. track — a path
  8. season — of the year
  9. track — to keep track
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mate — a friend
  12. face — to confront
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — a song
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — in sport
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ball — a great time
  24. face — part of the head

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