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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. swing — music
  3. field — for sport
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. staff — a stick
  7. field — farmland
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — to play on
  15. dip — to sink
  16. capital — a city
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. field — a subject
  19. capital — money
  20. swing — in golf
  21. face — to confront
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. face — to point toward
  24. dip — to dunk

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