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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. face — part of the head
  5. swing — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. face — to confront
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rock — a stone
  15. face — to point toward
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rock — music
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. file — a line of people

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