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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: wound · firm · swing · bass · bay · rash · face · leaves

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to confront
  3. swing — in golf
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. firm — decided
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — music
  8. rash — hasty
  9. face — to point toward
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. firm — a company
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. firm — steady
  18. rash — a series
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. swing — to play on
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bass — low music

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