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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a ring
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — to point toward
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wake — a trail
  20. band — a music group
  21. face — to confront
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. swing — music
  24. mate — a friend

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