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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. face — to confront
  3. press — to push
  4. swing — in golf
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. scale — in music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fine — all right
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — a publisher
  15. face — part of the head
  16. press — newspapers
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. swing — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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