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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. spell — a short time
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. spell — magic
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — to trim
  12. season — in sport
  13. swing — to play on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — of the year
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — a trail
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spell — letters
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wake — before a funeral

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