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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bass — low music
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wax — to grow
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bass — the fish
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. face — to point toward
  20. current — electric
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — happening now
  24. coach — a trainer

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