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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bank — of a river
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. present — a gift
  10. swing — to play on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bank — for money
  13. present — the time now
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bank — for money
  18. file — a line of people
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. swing — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — there

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