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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to confront
  5. suit — in cards
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. suit — clothes
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — completely
  20. row — to paddle
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. row — a line

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