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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. fall — the season
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. roll — a list
  6. clip — to cut
  7. net — for catching
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — a video
  10. swing — music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. roll — a cake
  13. last — finally
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. last — final
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. swing — to play on
  22. last — to go on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fall — to drop

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