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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. dip — to sink
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. face — part of the head
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to confront
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — to wash
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. shower — rain
  15. ball — a dance
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ball — a great time
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. swing — music
  24. rash — hasty

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