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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · rule · swing · racket · saw · pop

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — music
  6. rule — government
  7. face — part of the head
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pop — to visit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pop — soda
  18. rule — a law

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