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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. face — to confront
  3. swing — in golf
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. swing — music
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. shower — rain
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — a hole
  21. face — part of the head
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. mine — for digging

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