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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.

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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: swing · lean · suit · firm · ground · court · temple · face

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. firm — decided
  4. court — for sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. firm — a company
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. suit — to fit
  9. court — of law
  10. face — to point toward
  11. swing — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. firm — steady
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. swing — to play on
  19. court — of a king
  20. swing — in golf
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ground — a position
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. suit — in cards

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