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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. face — to point toward
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. swing — in golf
  7. face — part of the head
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. ball — a great time
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. content — happy
  24. ball — a round shape

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