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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. face — part of the head
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — a committee
  6. swing — music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kid — to tease
  11. board — to get on
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kid — child
  14. face — to point toward
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rock — music
  17. face — to confront
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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