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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. swing — music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. last — final
  6. cap — a lid
  7. swing — to play on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — in golf
  10. cap — of ice
  11. face — to confront
  12. chip — to eat
  13. last — to go on
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. chip — for betting
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. date — the fruit
  19. face — to point toward
  20. last — finally
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — in cards

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