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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. face — to confront
  10. spell — letters
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bass — the fish
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bass — low music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bass — the instrument

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