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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. spell — letters
  5. face — to confront
  6. drill — the tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. drill — army training
  11. spell — magic
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bass — low music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bass — the fish
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mate — a friend

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