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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. staff — a stick
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. swing — music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. sharp — clever
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. swing — to play on
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — to crush
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. face — to confront
  24. lash — to lash out

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