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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. face — to confront
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to point toward
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pound — a weight
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — in golf
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — part of the head
  16. squash — the sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. swing — music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rock — a stone

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