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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. face — to point toward
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rock — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — to confront
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bound — obliged
  15. swing — in golf
  16. track — a song
  17. bound — certain
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. swing — music

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