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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. swing — in golf
  4. game — a match
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — in music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. race — humankind
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. swing — to play on
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. face — to confront

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