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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. stock — shares
  5. rash — a series
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. march — music
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to confront
  17. march — the month
  18. rule — government
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — a law
  22. rash — hasty
  23. face — part of the head
  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