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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: swing · dip · face · toast · sharp · kid · bowl · date

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. swing — music
  3. face — to confront
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — to point toward
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kid — child
  12. toast — bread
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. date — the fruit
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kid — to tease
  20. face — part of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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