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

Word bank: suit · swing · root · face · cell · stick · scale · mine

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — clothes
  3. swing — music
  4. cell — a phone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — of a word
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. scale — in music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — in golf
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. face — to confront
  18. root — the cause
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mine — for digging

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