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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. swing — to play on
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — to confront
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. press — to push
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. face — to point toward
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — a short time
  18. face — part of the head
  19. press — a publisher
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. swing — music
  24. press — newspapers

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