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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chest — a box
  10. pop — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pop — soda
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. face — to confront
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bore — to tire
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — boats
  24. bore — gave birth

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