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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — a series
  15. face — part of the head
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — to succeed

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