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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. swing — to play on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. swing — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — to crush
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mine — for digging
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. squash — the sport
  21. face — to confront
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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