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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — to play on
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — a phone
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — a path
  8. cell — in biology
  9. swing — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. shower — rain
  12. face — to point toward
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a song
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rest — a break
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rest — what's left
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — to keep track
  22. face — to confront
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — to wash

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