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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. swing — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. face — to confront
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rash — a series
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. prune — to trim
  24. swing — to play on

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