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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spell — magic
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rock — music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. face — part of the head
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. face — to confront
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stem — to come from
  23. swing — music
  24. face — to point toward

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