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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — bread
  5. bear — the animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. charge — electricity
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. date — the fruit
  16. face — part of the head
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — the animal
  19. swing — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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