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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stock — shares
  3. swing — music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. scale — in music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stock — goods
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. degree — from a university
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. face — to confront
  17. swing — in golf
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mate — to breed
  20. degree — an amount
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — part of the head
  24. plane — an aircraft

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