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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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 — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. face — to confront
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. fine — high quality
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. staff — employees
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bat — the animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. swing — music
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. face — part of the head
  23. trunk — of a car
  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