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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. swing — in golf
  3. squash — to crush
  4. current — electric
  5. race — humankind
  6. face — to point toward
  7. roll — a list
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. current — happening now
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. face — to confront
  14. swing — to play on
  15. race — the arms race
  16. content — happy
  17. current — of water
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — a contest
  20. swing — music
  21. mug — a face
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mug — a cup
  24. content — the amount

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