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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fine — all right
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bound — tied together
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lean — thin
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. last — final
  12. face — part of the head
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lean — to bend
  17. last — finally
  18. face — to confront
  19. bound — certain
  20. last — to go on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fine — high quality
  23. root — of a word
  24. swing — to play on

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