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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · season · scale · swing · face · bowl · roll · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. face — to confront
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. face — part of the head
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. season — in sport
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. roll — a cake
  17. scale — in music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. season — of the year
  21. rash — a series
  22. swing — to play on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — hasty

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