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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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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: sharp · deal · face · mouse · swing · kid · land · bay

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. face — part of the head
  3. swing — music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. land — a country
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. swing — in golf
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — ground
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. swing — to play on
  18. sharp — clever
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. land — to come down
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mouse — for a computer

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