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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. face — to confront
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chip — for betting
  5. march — music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. swing — music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chip — to eat
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. charge — in control
  18. plane — a tool
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — a price
  22. face — part of the head
  23. swing — in golf
  24. face — to point toward

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