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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. swing — music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — of water
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — happening now
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. swing — in golf
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. current — electric
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wax — to grow
  24. jam — a tight spot

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