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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mug — to rob
  3. face — part of the head
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. mug — a face
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chair — a leader
  10. face — to point toward
  11. swing — in golf
  12. last — finally
  13. pop — soda
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. last — to go on
  17. date — the fruit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. pop — to visit
  24. last — final

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