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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. swing — music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a trace
  7. swing — to play on
  8. face — to confront
  9. tube — a container
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — a grade
  13. capital — money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rest — a break
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. capital — a city
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tube — the underground

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