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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. swing — in golf
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — to confront
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. branch — a division
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — electric
  12. game — a match
  13. current — happening now
  14. swing — music
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. current — of water
  22. swing — to play on
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. season — in sport

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