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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bass — low music
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — in golf
  8. face — to point toward
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rock — music
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. face — to confront
  16. mug — a face
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. swing — music
  23. rest — a break
  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