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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pop — soda
  3. swing — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. swing — to play on
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pop — to visit
  9. date — the fruit
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tear — from crying
  13. band — a music group
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — to protest
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. band — a ring
  24. object — an aim

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