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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — a price
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rock — a stone
  12. charge — electricity
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. sharp — clever
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. present — the time now
  20. face — to confront
  21. swing — music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — 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