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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. board — to get on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. club — for golf
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — a friend
  7. board — a committee
  8. swing — to play on
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mate — a partner
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. swing — music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. face — to confront
  22. press — to push
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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