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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. spring — of water
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. file — a line of people
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — hasty
  15. swing — music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. rash — a series
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. file — a document
  21. spring — the season
  22. toast — bread
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. file — a tool

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