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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. swing — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. face — to point toward
  6. key — in music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mark — a grade
  9. key — the most important part
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. branch — a division
  12. date — the fruit
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cap — of ice
  19. face — part of the head
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — of a tree

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