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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. face — to confront
  3. object — a thing
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. swing — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. object — to protest
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — in golf
  18. land — a country
  19. band — a music group
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a ring

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