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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. object — an aim
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — a committee
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. spell — letters
  8. face — to confront
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. object — to protest
  11. current — electric
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. face — to point toward
  14. current — happening now
  15. spell — magic
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — a thing
  18. face — part of the head
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — of water
  22. spell — a short time
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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