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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. rest — a break
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — to point toward
  10. swing — music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. swing — in golf
  13. capital — a city
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. capital — money
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pop — music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chest — a box
  20. bore — to tire
  21. face — to confront
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rest — what's left

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