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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. key — in music
  3. spring — of water
  4. face — part of the head
  5. chip — for betting
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — the most important part
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spring — a coil
  15. key — for a lock
  16. swing — in golf
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. suit — clothes
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spring — the season
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. suit — to fit
  24. swing — music

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