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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. swing — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — the tool
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — a series
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. saw — the tool
  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