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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. face — to confront
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rock — a stone
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. ground — a position
  24. kid — to tease

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