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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. swing — music
  3. pop — music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. land — ground
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pop — soda
  8. shower — rain
  9. foot — a measure
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — a country
  15. pop — to visit
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — to come down
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. swing — in golf
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. swing — to play on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. face — part of the head
  24. staff — a stick

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