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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. firm — a company
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hand — help
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — decided
  8. row — to paddle
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. face — to confront
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — part of the head
  20. firm — steady
  21. row — a line
  22. staff — a stick
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bulb — for light

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