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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bass — low music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. snap — to click
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. face — to confront
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — music

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